News Feature
| July 7, 2016

Nearly Half Of Docs Recommend Wearables

While 40 percent of doctors say they have recommended wearables, only 4 percent of patients said their doctor has suggested them.

A Nielsen survey found doctors and their patients have conflicting views on how much technology is being used for healthcare communications. For example, while 40 percent of doctors report recommending wearables to their patients, less than 5 percent of patients say their doctor has suggested they use the technology.

“This survey is evidence of the failure of American healthcare to provide coordinated, technologically enabled, high-quality healthcare to the majority of people,” said Dr. Robert Pearl, Chairman of CAPP, said in a statement. “These findings reinforce CAPP’s long-held belief that patient-centered care models are critical to closing the gaps between what patients need and what they are currently receiving.”

Wearable technology wasn’t the only subject doctors and their patients had differing views of. In addition, the survey found:

50 percent of doctors said they provided a portal; 48 percent of consumers report having access to a patient portal

27 percent of doctors said they provided appointment scheduling; 42 percent of patients have access to online appointment scheduling

30 percent of doctors said they offered secure messaging; 42 percent of patients can communicate with their doctors via online secure messaging

CAPP Executive Director Laura Fegraus said, “Our survey found that, while it is encouraging the use of care teams and care coordination seem to be increasing, access and the effective use of technology still need improvement, and tactics that help to prevent illness are still woefully ineffective.”